The very first anemic smudges of morning were beginning to ooze into the room, giving Hermione's bed, and it's two entangled occupants, an almost ethereal glow. Sometime in the night, between the first mad bout of lovemaking, and the second, more intense and sweet coupling, they had shed free of their remaining clothes. Only after the burning passion had once again withered to a faint glow had they thought to crawl beneath the well rumpled covers. . .,where their exhaustion and satisfaction had led them to sleep, gripping each other as though afraid the other might vanish if left un-held.
Yet they both eased awake. . .each with their own hearts in their throats, afraid that the other might suddenly regret their actions. Afraid that in the morning, things might seem more bleak. What about consequences? What about the future? What about the fact that. . .
Suddenly Hermione sat up, rousing Remus rather suddenly. He squinted up at her, his hair charmingly disheveled.
" How did you get here?" she demanded. . .not unkindly, but with an edge of panic in her voice.
He blinked in surprise, trying to decipher her new emotion. She was holding the sheet across her breasts, and her brown eyes were rather wide. Had she forgotten. . .?
" Why? Don't you remember. . .last night?" he asked, reaching over to touch her arm.
She frowned a little. Then blushed.
" No...I meant how did you get here, to my flat? Did you apparate? "
" Mmmhmmm. . ." he answered, rubbing his eyes. " No! Wait. . .I didn't, I flooed. "
She bit her lip. " From. . .where?"
" Molly's kitchen...I followed you inside, and flooed directly here."
Hermione gave a rather childish squeal and put her hands over her eyes.
" Ohhh no! " she half groaned, half laughed.
" What is it?" he sat up fully so that he could lean against the very cold wood of her headboard, wincing slightly at the contact. . .his back was slightly raw from some of her more enthusiastic attentions.
" Was anyone else in the kitchen when you. . .left?' she asked.
" Ginny. And Molly. . .I think."
" Do you realize what this means?" Clearly he didn't...at least not yet. " This means that EVERYONE KNOWS!" her blush had trickled attractively down her shoulders.
He took in this information a little dully at first. The total impact of the idea hit rather hard. . .a sucker punch right in the diaphragm. Everyone would know. . .and he and she hadn't even discussed anything.
What if this was just an...accident, and it never reoccurred? They would have to live with the looks and the jokes...the pranks!
But he also found it incredibly hard to be too concerned about this concept. Not with her sitting there, staring so openly at him, and still nibbling at her lower lip. Mmmm, not that he could blame her. . .her lips tasted delicious. He wanted to grab her, and kiss her until she never worried again about other people's opinions, but something nagged at him about her statement.
" So. . .you would rather that no one knows? Would you rather we pretended this never happened?" he asked, his voice a little bitter. ''We can, if you would rather that people didn't know. . .that you said you loved me."
She blinked at him a moment, before screwing her face into one of disbelief and wry amusement.
" I didn't mean that! Let the whole world know that I love you, I don't care! " she laughed. " It's just that everyone in the Wizarding World is going to know what we were doing all night!" she laughed even harder, and he turned a little pink.
" You don't think so, do you? I mean Molly wouldn't...?"
" Oh yes she would! And Ginny is no better. Like putting your secrets in a sieve, those two. Oh, we may never be able to go out in public again! " she said dramatically, and bent forward to hide her face in her lap.
He took note of the fact that she was also very limber. . .a piece of knowledge that might come in handy in the future.
He slithered a little closer to her, so that they touched again under the covers. " That wouldn't be sooo bad, now would it? Never being able to go out in public...having to stay locked in here forever...together?" he kissed her arm.
" Remus, do you regret it?" she asked, suddenly solemn.
" No. . .actually, not a minute of it."
" Would you like to go on?''
" Yes, of course. That is, if you do. I mean, there are some complications we'll have to face."
" Such as?" she tiptoed her fingers up his leg, her voice going suddenly honeyed and flirtatious.
" Well, the inevitable public announcement, complete with the proper ribbings and garnished with who-only-knows-what sort of advice and opinions from our friends." he said.
" I don't believe it will be so bad. And, I do believe you are worth every minute of what may come."
" Oh thank you. But I warn you there may be some strong dissaproval."
" Why?"
'' Because I am quite a bit older than you. . .and more experienced I believe. " he narrowed his gaze at her. " Not to change the subject, but Hermione, I have to ask. . .was last night your first time?"
She went absolutely crimson, before draining to a nice stark white.
" Oh! Was it that obvious? I mean, no it wasn't. . .exactly my first time. . .but I. . .I mean it was the first time I finsished. This time was. . .and. . .I..."
" All right, calm down there, no need to get flustered." he pulled her down so that he could stroke her hair. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, or even to pry. I simply felt that if it were the case, then I owed you an apology."
" For what? "
" For allowing myself to just come into your room and. . .take you. I should have exercised better control."
" Mmm. . .well it was exciting. I would never have had the guts to. . .you know. . .if you had simply asked me, or tried to seduce me. "
'' It's my nature I am afraid. I cannot always control it. Which brings us to the number one, and most important reason why we should not have a relationship." he announced.
" Oh, and what is that?" she was nibbling at his shoulder in a distracting fashion.
" Why, the simple fact that once a month, I turn into a werewolf." his voice was teasing, but he waited, not daring to breathe, for her response.
She seemed to ponder this for a moment, as if she had never had any idea that he might have become a werewolf. She eyed him, up and down, weighing all of the pro's and con's. . .and anatomy. For a sheer, and terrifying second, he believed she was going to agree with him.
But she merely grinned; evilly. Her most wicked, only-for him-smile.
" Well, that is nothing! I am a woman. You should see what I turn into once a month! "
He pursed his lips and glared at her for a moment, before shaking his head.
" You know what? On second thought we might just be well matched at that! "
" How about we see how well we...uh...fit together...?"
" Like a hand in a glove, I'll wager..."
"Does that mean we are ' together ' ?" she asked, as he came closer to her, reaching for a kiss.
" Not yet, my love, but give me a moment."